AutoShift Problem -- update

rv_safetyman · May 14, 2010, 07:42:39 AM

Bob and Dave: I always debate about posting what some folks would call minutiae. That can be a real pitfall for an engineer! I have taken the approach that I will post these details until my "ignore" count exceeds 100

Russ, my parts book shows K-2609 for the B ratio and K-2856 for the C ratio. In truth, the ECU is the same, and the only thing that seems to be different is the software. I think those numbers are only for inventory and do not appear on the ECU.

So, I would find someone who can reprogram the ECU (local Roadrange rep) and have them make sure it is for your "C" ratio.

Jim

Bestekustoms · May 14, 2010, 09:33:23 AM

GOD BLESS YOU....Jim

MrBreeze

NEO/Russ · May 14, 2010, 12:27:14 PM

Thanks Jim, I hope I just carry it as a spare, but....just in case. I've been thinking to that I may put the new (maybe it's rebuilt - it's clean) one on and carry the working original as my spare. Good to know that the number isn't on the outside so I guess I have to go to my KW dealer to have them plug in and tell me. Need to do the same for engine ECU to turn it up a bit. I can see it now - here I comes with about 4 ECUs and wondering why we're going to charge him several hundred $ each to scope them....maybe I can get a group buy. I have spare ECU for engine as well.

Russ

rv_safetyman · May 15, 2010, 11:59:25 AM

Well, between rain and snow storms, I took the bus for a couple of laps around the subdivision today. Everything worked pretty good. Transmission worked great. Charge air hydraulic fan did not come loose and get into the CAC

The new hydraulic pump is a bit puny at slow engine speeds and the power steering gets a bit sluggish if the transmission shifts to neutral at very slow speeds. I think I can work around that. I had to lift the front end to take some pictures of the jack system for the upcoming article and it would not lift unless the engine was on high idle. Again, I can live with that.

Jim

JohnEd · May 15, 2010, 04:10:52 PM

Russ,

Why not install the ECU and prove that it is compatible and works. From Jim"s posts I would conclude that having one that is programmed for a different unit won't break it....even if doesn't function. And, regardless what the shop says you will install them and test them anyway. Get in front of the money curve. No?

HTH,

John

rv_safetyman · May 15, 2010, 06:09:57 PM

John make a good point. Not too hard to change. Be very careful with the two large connectors. They are pretty puny. I have had to use tie wraps to hold them in place. Terrible design.

You will be able to tell if it is correct in the first 50 feet. Will not shift and will throw a code. If it runs ok and shifts, I would drive it for a few miles to check everything out.

BTW, the tower ECU appears to be the same for either transmission ratio. I did run the tower ECU for the transmission that gave me the wrong ratio ECU for the owner to allow him to eliminate it as a problem. Worked fine.

Jim

NEO/Russ · May 15, 2010, 07:44:06 PM

John and Jim, Good suggestion, thanks. I'm probably still 18 months from rolling again, lots to do before I can take it around the block. One other thing is that my truck is a bear to switch the A/S ECU. Some models have an access hole in the floor, mine does't. That makes changing a real bear. I'm 99% sure I'm going to cut an access hole so I can do it from above and that makes your suggestions more valid. Russ

Bob Belter · May 17, 2010, 10:32:33 AM

Ahoy, Jim,

Check: Wholesale -- Portland -- I bought an ECM for my M-11 7/09 for $750 CPL1856 Runs OK -- 800 547 1315 Rich.

They were big, helpful, and reasonable priced. They may have some Autoshift stuff.

Enjoy /s/ Bob

rv_safetyman · May 17, 2010, 11:35:17 AM

Thanks, Bob.

I took the bus on a longer check-out drive today. Did a long pull and the transmission did fine.

My new hydraulic fan did a pretty good job of keeping the charge air temperature down. I was only using the low speed and did not have my misters hooked up.

However, my power steering has some issues. I will start a separate post.

Jim

rv_safetyman · May 22, 2010, 07:14:30 AM

I am posting this from another thread. I wanted to keep this information together in one thread.

QuoteBy Brian Diehl: Jim, I'm so glad you were able to actually get down the road and have no engine/transmission problems! Way to go!

I don't think I saw where you mentioned exactly what it was that caused your original transmission ECU to fail. What was the root cause analysis on that?

Brian, I am not exactly sure how the ECU got screwed up. As I approached Raton Pass on the way home from Albuquerque, I made a quick decision to pull over and turn on the misters (charge air cooler issues). For some reason, I kicked the transmission into neutral (a normal process for me at very slow speeds). When I kicked it into neutral, the transmission seem to react strangely. When I went to take off, the transmission did not want to shift. I tried it a couple of more times and after about 4 times, it shifted and we went on down the road. About 100 miles later, the transmission would not shift out of 10th. I nursed it to a rest stop and did a bunch of trouble shooting with my Pro-Link. The results were that the ECU had "failed". That is when I put the replacement ECU on and ran into the gear ratio incompatibility and got to go home behind the hook.

I am not sure if the ECU has gone belly up or if there is a software issue. I have taken it along with the wrong gear ratio ECU to the Eaton rep to have them reprogrammed. My hopes are that the original ECU is not toast.

I still have a hard time understanding how my kicking the transmission out of gear would cause the ECU to "fail"

I will also post this on the thread about the AutoShift problems to keep everything together.

BTW, we just traveled 700 miles and did not have any problems - what is wrong with this picture

Jim